Patents Examined by Howard Williams
  • Patent number: 9871531
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The DAC includes an output node and a plurality of equal sized cell transistors. Each of the plurality of equal sized cell transistors represents a distinct bit, the distinct bits including a least significant bit (LSB). The plurality of equal sized cell transistors are connected to the output node. The DAC includes at least one control circuit configured to modify a back gate voltage of one of the equal sized cell transistors representing the LSB to adjust a current output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Sher J. Fang, Sherif H. K. Embabi
  • Patent number: 9871534
    Abstract: An exemplary quantizer includes a multi-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a first digital-to-analog converter (DAC) feedback circuit. The multi-bit ADC has an internal DAC associated with comparison of each sampled analog input of the multi-bit ADC. The multi-bit ADC converts a currently-sampled analog input into a first digital output. A first noise-shaped truncation output is derived from the first digital output. The first DAC feedback circuit transfers a first truncation residue associated with the first noise-shaped truncation output to the internal DAC. The transferred first truncation residue is reflected in comparison of a later-sampled analog input of the multi-bit ADC via the internal DAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Jen-Huan Tsai, Chih-Hong Lou
  • Patent number: 9871302
    Abstract: Enclosures for radios, parabolic dish antennas, and side lobe shields are provided herein. A dish antenna includes a parabolic circular reflector bounded by a side lobe shield that extends along a longitudinal axis of the dish antenna in a forward direction forming a front cavity, and a sidewall that extends along the longitudinal axis of the dish antenna in a rearward direction forming a rear cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Mimosa Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian L. Hinman, Wayne Miller, Carlos Ramos
  • Patent number: 9866237
    Abstract: Disclosed examples include switched capacitor integrator circuits including an amplifier, a feedback capacitor, a sampling capacitor, a loading capacitor and a switching circuit, along with a controller that operates the switching circuit to sample an input signal to the sampling capacitor during a sample portion of a given sample and hold cycle, to couple the sampling capacitor to an amplifier input during a first hold portion of each sample and hold cycle, and to couple the sampling capacitor and the loading capacitor to the amplifier input in a second hold portion of each sample and hold cycle to reduce the bandwidth and power consumption by the integrator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rajavelu Thinakaran, Sumit Dubey
  • Patent number: 9859918
    Abstract: Technologies for performing speculative decompression include a managed node to decode a variable size code at a present position in compressed data with a deterministic decoder and concurrently perform speculative decodes over a range of subsequent positions in the compressed data, determine the position of the next code, determine whether the position of the next code is within the range, and output, in response to a determination that the position of the next code is within the range, a symbol associated with the deterministically decoded code and another symbol associated with a speculatively decoded code at the position of the next code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vinodh Gopal, James D. Guilford, Kirk S. Yap
  • Patent number: 9859905
    Abstract: An object is to reduce power consumption of an analog-digital converter circuit. An analog potential obtained in a sensor or the like is held in a sample-and-hold circuit including a transistor with an extremely low off-state current. In the sample-and-hold circuit, the analog potential is held in a node which is able to hold a charge by turning off the transistor. Then, power supply to a buffer circuit or the like included in the sample-and-hold circuit is stopped to reduce power consumption. In a structure where a potential is held in each node, power consumption can be further reduced when a transistor with an extremely low off-state current is connected to a node holding a potential of a comparator, a successive approximation register, a digital-analog converter circuit, or the like, and power supply to these circuits is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Shionoiri, Kiyoshi Kato, Tomoaki Atsumi
  • Patent number: 9853654
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for converting an input digital signal into an analog signal is provided. The method comprises modulating the input digital signal into a modulated digital signal, and converting the modulated digital signal into the analog signal using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The modulation shapes quantization noise of the DAC to place a notch at a frequency within an out-of-bound frequency band to reduce the quantization noise within the out-of-bound frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Mohammadhossein Naderi Alizadeh, Shahin Mehdizad Taleie, Dongwon Seo
  • Patent number: 9838030
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses methods and techniques for automatically adjusting the noise-transfer-function of a modulator which is designed to attenuate the level of unwanted noise and/or distortion in a particular frequency band, without similarly attenuating the level of a desired signal in the same frequency band. One such apparatus includes a processing block for generating and injecting an explicit reference signal, and a processing block for detecting the amplitude of that reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 9831889
    Abstract: In an example embodiment, an apparatus includes: a first sampling capacitor and a comparator to compare a sum voltage at a first input terminal to a voltage level at a second input terminal according to a thermometer cycle. The sum voltage is based at least in part on an analog input voltage and a divided reference voltage, where the analog input voltage and the reference voltage (VREF) are of a first voltage range and the divided reference voltage is according to ( ( 2 M - 1 ) ? V REF / 2 M ) , to enable the comparator to operate at a second voltage range, the second voltage range less than V REF / 2 M , and M is a number of bits of a digital output to be decided in the thermometer cycle and is greater than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Obaida Mohammed Khaled Abu Hilal
  • Patent number: 9831887
    Abstract: A circuit can include a voltage comparator Vd having a first input, a second input, and an output; a first plurality of capacitors Cp[0:n] that each have a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein each top plate is electrically coupled with the first input of the voltage comparator Vd, wherein each top plate is also switchably electrically coupled with a common mode voltage Vcm, and wherein each bottom plate is switchably electrically coupled between a first input voltage Vinp, a reference voltage Vref, the common mode voltage Vcm, and ground; a second plurality of capacitors Cn[0:n] that each have a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein each top plate is electrically coupled with the second input of the voltage comparator Vd, wherein each top plate is also switchably electrically coupled with the common mode voltage Vcm, and wherein each bottom plate is switchably electrically coupled between a second input voltage Vinn, the reference voltage Vref, the common mode voltage Vcm, and ground; and a successive appro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: AVNERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jianping Wen, Garry Link, Wai Lee
  • Patent number: 9830553
    Abstract: A code book is generated for mapping source to target code words which allows encoding source data at reduced probability of incorrect decoding, e.g. for DNA storage. The target code words are grouped (102) into subsets and comprise identifying and remaining portions. The identifying portions of target code words corresponding to a same subset are identical. A first code symbol set of source code words is selected (103) for addressing the subsets. For the subsets, neighboring subsets are determined (104). The identifying portions of the target code words of neighboring subsets differ from those of the corresponding subset by up to a predetermined amount of symbols. Source code words are assigned (105) where the corresponding first code symbols address the same subset to said subset such that an amount of target code words of said subset having their remaining portions identical to their neighboring subsets corresponds to an optimization criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Xiaoming Chen, Meinolf Blawat, Klaus Gaedke, Ingo Huetter
  • Patent number: 9813075
    Abstract: A self-healing data converter system including a data converter; a parametric function module coupled to the data converter to receive a target performance requirement for a data converter and produce a set of function values to the data converter; an assistant module that captures data converter performance under one or more stress conditions; and a processing module coupled to the data converter to stress the data converter in accordance with one or more predetermined parameters and based on the target performance requirement and data converter performance, the processing module determines new parameters based on a self-healing method and applies the new parameters to produce a new set of function values for the data converter until a predetermined threshold is met to adaptively self-heal the data converter to changed conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Inventor: Yuan-Ju Chao
  • Patent number: 9806728
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes a sampling circuit and an amplifier connected to an output of the sampling circuit. A feedback capacitor is between an output terminal of the amplifier and an output terminal of the sampling circuit. A quantizer that includes a comparator is configured to quantize a voltage at the output terminal of the sampling circuit according to a comparison of a voltage at the output terminal of the sampling circuit to a voltage at the reference potential terminal of the comparator. The quantizer outputs a digital code according to the voltage comparison. A control circuit receives the digital code from the quantizer and stores the digital code in a register as a cancellation digital code. A digital-analog (D/A) converter outputs an analog signal in accordance with digital codes from the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomohiko Sugimoto, Hirotomo Ishii, Kentaro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9799943
    Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus and system are described for a coaxial antenna. An apparatus may comprise, for example, an integrated circuit and a coaxial cable coupled to the integrated circuit and arranged to operate as an antenna, the coaxial cable comprising an inner conductor layer and at least one insulator layer, wherein one or more portions of the inner conductor layer are exposed to allow the exposed inner conductor layer to operate as a radiating element for the antenna. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anand S. Konanur, Ulun Karacaoglu, Songnan Yang, Xintian E. Lin
  • Patent number: 9791623
    Abstract: Multilevel leaky-mode optical elements, including reflectors, polarizers, and beamsplitters. Some of the elements have a plurality of spatially modulated periodic layers coupled to a substrate. For infrared applications, the optical elements may have a bandwidth larger than 600 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Robert Magnusson, Mehrdad Shokooh-Saremi
  • Patent number: 9793913
    Abstract: A probabilistic digitizer for extracting information from a Josephson comparator is disclosed. The digitizer uses statistical methods to aggregate over a set of comparator readouts, effectively increasing the sensitivity of the comparator even when an input signal falls within the comparator's gray zone. Among other uses, such a digitizer may be used to discriminate between states of a qubit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Bulzacchelli, Mark B. Ketchen, Christopher B. Lirakis, Alexey Y. Lvov, Stanislav Polonsky, Mark B. Ritter
  • Patent number: 9780440
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a communication module and a loop-shaped conductor. The communication module has a substrate on which an approximately rectangular ground conductor is formed. A non-ground region is provided along one side of the ground conductor. A transmission line and a radiation element are formed in the non-ground region. Further, a capacitance element is connected to the radiation element, and the transmission line is connected to a feeding point of the radiation element. The loop-shaped conductor includes in part a gap that is positioned near the radiation element. With this, an antenna device to be provided in an electronic apparatus having wide directivity in a state of being attached to a garment, a person's body, or the like, and the stated electronic apparatus are configured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Onaka, Hiroya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9779353
    Abstract: An antenna device or a communication terminal device including the antenna device includes ground conductor, which serves as a plate-shaped conductor and is provided in an inner layer of a circuit board. An antenna coil is mounted so that a first main surface of a magnetic core faces the circuit board. The antenna coil is arranged so that a first conductor portion of a coil conductor is at a position that is closer to the ground conductor than a second conductor portion. The antenna coil is arranged so that the first conductor portion of the coil conductor is positioned in the vicinity of a longitudinal direction end portion of a casing, and the first conductor portion of the coil conductor is bent in a direction toward the ground conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kubo, Hiromitsu Ito, Kuniaki Yosui
  • Patent number: 9774339
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that describe statistical estimation based noise reduction for SAR ADCs. For SAR ADCs, the conversion error can be available at the comparator input. Although a noisy 1-bit comparator may not be able to produce an accurate estimation for its input if used only once, the comparison can be repeated multiple times for a designated bit of the multi-bit SAR ADC. This can allow for the improvement of the estimation accuracy by examining the probability of the comparator output being “1” or “0”. The estimation of a signal from a noisy environment using multiple trials can be cast as a classic statistical estimation issue. In one aspect of the disclosure, an optimal Bayes estimator is disclosed to achieve a low estimation error from the comparator on a designated bit of the multi-bit SAR ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Nan Sun, Long Chen, Xiyuan Tang
  • Patent number: 9774343
    Abstract: A system and method is described for converting an analog signal into a digital signal. The gain and offset of an ADC is dynamically adjusted so that the N-bits of input data are assigned to a narrower channel instead of the entire input range of the ADC. This provides greater resolution in the range of interest without generating longer digital data strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Amir L. Liaghati